Fishing has never been a particularly adrenaline-filled pursuit… unless you’re dangling a chunk of rotting flesh into piranha-infested waters, as seen in this hilarious video. In the clip, a group of men shows off a jaw-dropping fishing method. With a decaying piece of meat suspended off the side of their boat, they summon a frenzy of ravenous piranhas. One man waits with a bucket, while another lifts the bait out of the water, now covered with wriggling, furious fish. They repeat the process, steadily harvesting their scaly prizes.
For many over on Reddit, the clip triggered childhood memories of piranha-related fears, the kind ingrained by over-the-top horror flicks and exaggerated survival tales. As one user joked, “Did everyone else go through a phase where they were absolutely terrified of piranhas, only to forget about them until this exact video?”
Piranhas are often misunderstood, as it turns out. Despite their Hollywood reputation as hyper-aggressive flesh eaters, they’re typically more scavenger than hunter. Their frenzied feeding behavior is usually triggered by hunger and an abundance of food in close quarters. As one commenter pointed out, “Piranhas aren’t active predators by default. It’s their instinct to compete for a carcass that turns them into the feeding machines we all fear.”
But the sheer chaos of this fishing method brings those cinematic nightmares to life. One misstep and a single slip into the water could turn a fisherman into the prey. “Imagine losing your balance…” one viewer shuddered, summing up the collective anxiety of anyone who’s ever seen teeth flash in murky waters.
Interestingly, while piranhas are considered dangerous, they’re also edible. Many Redditors shared mixed reviews on their taste. “Delicious if cooked right, but a pain to eat,” said one, referencing their notoriously bony structure. Others dismissed them as hardly worth the trouble, with one commenter quipping, “They’re just angry little fish that taste okay if you can get past the bones.”
So, would you dare to try your hand at this unorthodox fishing technique? Or is this a hard pass in favor of a more tranquil pastime like fly-fishing? Either way, remember to respect the razor-toothed denizens of the deep—whether you’re dodging them or dining on them.
